Rubbing-down device for mounting photographs



(No Model.)

L. F. ADT.

RUBBINGDOWN DEVICE FOR MOUNTING PHOTOGRAPHS. No. 364,882.

Patented June 14, 1887.

N. PETERS, Phnln-Lilhogmpller. Washington, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

LEO F. ADT, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

RUBBlNG-DOWN DEVICE FOR MOUNTING PHOTOGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,882, dated June 14, 1887.

Application filed-January 31, 1857. Serial No. 225,962

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

7 Be it known that I, LE F. AD'I, of aterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Rubbing-Down Devices for Mounting Photographs; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with acconr panying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a top or plan view of the device as fixed to the rubbingdown table; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section through the roller and frame; Fig. 4, a modification in the method of returning the strip with the roller.

This invention relates to an improvement in devices to facilitate the mounting of photographic sheetson cards or boards.

In the usual method of mounting photographs the paste or adhesive material is applied to the back of the photographic sheet, and then the sheet laid upon the card, a sheet of thin paper laid upon the face of the photograph, and then the photograph is rubbed down upon the card, either by means ofa roller or by the hand'applied to the surface of the overlying sheet. In this operation great care is required to be exercised, in order that the photograph be not displaced or slip upon the card in the rubbing-down operation, the overlying paper affording no protection against such displacement.

The object of my invention is to dispense with this detached overlying sheet and provide a rubbingdown device which shall carry with it the overlying sheet and prevent any possible displacement of that overlying sheet, and consequently any displacement of the photograph itself; and it consists of a sheet of fabric made fast at one end and passing around a roller, the said roller provided with a handle,

the said sheet adapted to bring the roller to the point where the sheet is fixed, but yet so as to permit the roller to be drawn from the said fixed point and carry with it the sheet, and so that as the roller passes over the surface of the photograph it will lay the sheet on that surface as a protection for the photograph,

point.

the sheet itself lying between the roller and the photograph, and so that the pressure of the roller is imparted to the photograph through the sheet, and the sheet working around the roller guides the roller in its path over the photograph, and, when permitted, returns the roller toward the fixed point, and so that the roller may be drawn backward and forward over the photograph, the fabric laid upon the sheet as it is drawn from the fixed point, and rolling therefrom as the roller is returned, as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the roller; B, the handle, from which two arms, C C, extend and form supports for the axle of the roller. The roller is tubular, and within the roller is a helical spring, D, one end of which is made fast to the roller and the other to the spindle E, said spindle being made fast inone of the arms of the handle, and so that as the roller rotates in one direction itwill wind the spring, and then when free the spring will operate to revolve the roller in the opposite direction. This springroller is similar to the spring-roller used in curtain-fixtures.

In the best construction of my invention a strip of fabric, F, is made fast by one end to the roller, wound several times around the roller, its other end fixed, say, to a table, G, at H, the table representing a bed upon which the photograph and card are to be laid for rubbing down. The strip of fabric being fixed, as at H, if the operator takes hold of the handle and pulls from the fixed point, the strip will and wind the springtwithin the roller; then when the pull is relaxed the reaction of the spring will revolve the roller in the opposite direction and rewind the stripthereon.

The pasted photograph and card are laid upon the table while the roller is at the fixed Then the operator, taking hold of the handle, draws the roller over and presses down upon the photograph. This operation lays the strip of fabric upon the photograph, and so that the pressure of the roller is applied to the photograph through the strip. Relaxing the pull, the roller is returned and rewinds the strip, thereby exposing the photograph at each return, and so the operator may continue drawing the roller backward and forward, as

. unwind from the roller, as indicated in Fig. 2,

ill

in the usual manner of drawing down a photograph; but because the interposing strip is fixed there is no liability of displacing the photograph upon the card, and under each return movement of the roller thephotograph 1s exposed, that the operator may see how the work of rubbing down is progressing.

By making the strip of fabric, it is to a considerable degree an absorbent, and absorbs the moisture from the photograph, thereby facilitating the mountingoperation, and if, in using, after a time the strip becomes too moist to act as such absorbent, the strip may be drawn from the roll to a certain extent and fixed at a point distant from its former fixed end, and proceed as before. To this end the strip should be ofconsiderably greater length than required for mounting a -single photograph, so that it may be thus taken up. \Vhile the best results are obtained by making the winding power of the strip in the roller itself, the fixed end of the strip may be secured at H, in the same manner as before described,and the strip passed underand returned over the roller A, as seen in Fig. 4, and thence, say, over a fixed roller, I, and a weight, J, or spring applied to the free end of the strip, and so that as the roller is drawn from the fixed point it will lay the sheet over the surface of the photograph as before, as seen in Fig. 4, so that the effect of the roller is imparted through the sheet and the sheet returns with the roller practically the same as if wound upon the roller itself, and in this arrangement it also serves as a guide to govern the path of the roller in its backward and forward movement. In this modification it will be understood that the roller is hung in the arms of thehandle in the same manner as in the first illustration. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to winding the interposing strip upon the roller.

\Vhile I prefer a strip of fabric as the interposing strip, it may be of any suitable material, various kinds of paper serving a good purpose; or thin leather may be used to ad 'antage. Therefore by the term fabric I wish to be understood as including any suitable material.

The handle is the best means for operating the roller; but the handle maybe omitted and the roller drawn forward, say, by foot-connection with the roller-frame, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2.

I claim 1. The herein-described device for rubbing down photographs, consisting of a strip of fabric, one end fixed, combined with a roller around which the said strip passes, the said roller adapted to be drawn from or returned to said fixed point, substantially as described, and whereby, as the roller is drawn from the said fixed point, it lays the strip upon the sur' face below, and on the return of the roller takes the strip from said surface.

2. The combination of a roller, a frame sup porting the said roller, but leaving it free for revolution, the said roller made tubular a helical spring within said roller, one end fixed to the roller and the other tothe axis upon which the roller revolves, a strip of fabric, one end fixed at a stationary point, the other end fixed to the roller, substantially as described, and whereby, as said roller is drawn from said stationary point, the strip will unwind from the roller, and on the return of the roller the strip will be wound upon it.

3. The combination of a handle, a frame fixed to said handle, a roller hung upon an axis in said frame, the said roller made tuba lar, a helical spring within said roller, one end fixed to the roller and the other to the axis upon which the roller revolves, a strip of fabric, one end fixed to the roller, and the strip wound upon the roller, the other end of the strip fixed at a stationary poi nt, substantially as described, and whereby, by means of said handle, the said roller'may be drawn from said stationary point and unwind the strip, and, returning, the strip will be wound upon the roller.

LEO F. ADT.

Witnesses:

Nit'rnasrnr. R. BRONSQN,

no. E. TERRY. 

